


Book 2

by Charlee422



Series: Ward 9 [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: 00 liner club, ADHD, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Autism, Bang Chan is a Good Friend, Bipolar Disorder, Book 2, Coping, Dependent personality disorder, Eight is Fate, Friendship, Gen, Han Jisung | Han is a Sweetheart, Healing, Hiding Medical Issues, Hospitals, Kim Seungmin is a Little Shit, Medical Conditions, Medical Inaccuracies, Medication, Medicine, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Muteness, Non-Graphic Violence, Not Beta Read, OT8, Odd, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Physical Disability, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Schizoid Personality Disorder, Schizophrenia, Seo Changbin is a Good Friend, Shy Lee Felix (Stray Kids), Sign Language, Social Anxiety, Stuttering, Wheelchairs, aged-down characters, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25119733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlee422/pseuds/Charlee422
Summary: Everything you thought you knew was wrong.It's not as it seems.What was real? What wasn't?Book 2 of Ward 9
Series: Ward 9 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819576
Comments: 14
Kudos: 65





	1. Book 2

"Mr. Lee?" A female voice broke the silence. "Mr. Lee Minho?"

Minho continued to stare at the white, padded wall, gaze unfocused despite the newcomer.

"It's time for your medications, Mr. Lee Minho," the nurse stepped into the room, yet Minho remained the same. 

The nurse sighed in defeat and called for a guard to assist her. A large (stereotypical) Male guard picked Minho up from his lying position and held the teenager to his chest while the younger thrashed around in his grasp, screaming and kicking his legs around because his upper half was immobilized by a straight jacket.

The petite nurse struggled to find the vein in the boy's neck as she continuously flinched at the screeching in her ear. 

Minho quickly calmed down once the medications were administered, allowing the two staff members to lay him back down on his cot before retreating from the room, both with small traces of worry evident on their faces.

"Excuse me, noona?" The guard called out once he was sure Minho's door was locked.

“Yes?” The nurse turned from where she had begun to walk down the hallway.

“How does he know the name of other patients? I thought he was isolated from them?” They both turned to the door that they had just exited.

“I don’t know… he’s just always called for them. He’s been in that room since he was administered here over two years ago,” the nurse shrugged her shoulders and set off towards where she was before. The guard watched her receding form before turning back to his post, yet the questions continued to burden his mind.

How could a patient, who had never met other patients, call out for them and scream their names like he had?

Did he somehow know those patients?

Did he hear their names from other staff members?

The guard shook his head to dispel the thoughts and focus on the last hour of his shift. His questions didn’t matter anyway, he  _ was _ in a psych ward after all.


	2. A New Friend

Username: ****************

Password: ***************************|

Access Granted.

Searching:  Bang Christopher Chan

View Patient Data ☑

Accessing now… 

Patient Name: Bang Christopher Chan

DOB: October 3, 1997

Current International Age: 18

Blood Type: O

Length of Admission (years): 9

Current Diagnosis: Bipolar Disorder

Common Symptoms: Insomnia, Manic Depression, Intense Mood Swings

Cause/Trigger: Unknown

Personality Traits: Organized, Often refuses to leave private room

Danger Level: 3

Sector: Grey – Common Isolation

  
  


Searching:  Han Jisung

View Patient Data ☑

Accessing now… 

Patient Name: Han Ji-sung

DOB: September 14, 2000

Current International Age: 15

Physical Traits: Fidgeting

Blood Type: B

Length of Admission (years): 5

Current Diagnosis: ADHD; ODD

Common Symptoms: Short Temper, Actively defies rules, Hyperactivity, Fidgeting

Cause/Trigger: Traumatic Infant Brain Damage

Personality Traits: Emotionally Sensitive, Lacks personal connections

Danger Level: 4

Sector: Yellow – Common Isolation

  
  


Searching:  Seo Changbin

View Patient Data ☑

Accessing now… 

Patient Name: Seo Chang-bin

DOB: August 11, 1999

Current International Age: 16

Physical Traits: Stutter

Blood Type: O

Length of Admission (years): 5

Current Diagnosis: Schizoid Personality Disorder

Common Symptoms: Difficulty expressing emotions, experiencing pleasure, reacting appropriately to situations, and enjoying close relationships

Cause/Trigger: Childhood Trauma

Personality Traits: Closed off, Expresses feeling of numbness

Danger Level: 1

Sector: Purple – Regular Isolation

  
  


Searching:  Hwang Hyunjin

View Patient Data ☑

Accessing now… 

Patient Name: Hwang Hyun-jin

DOB: March 20, 2000

Current International Age: 15

Physical Traits: Wheelchair

Blood Type: B

Length of Admission (years): 4

Current Diagnosis: PTSD

Common Symptoms: Flashbacks, Avoidance/Numbing, Hyperarousal

Cause/Trigger: Childhood Accident

Personality Traits: Emotionally Sensitive, Closed off

Danger Level: 1

Sector: Pink – Handicapped – Optional Isolation

  
  


Searching:  Yang Jeongin

View Patient Data ☑

Accessing now… 

Patient Name: Yang Jeong-in

DOB: February 8, 2001

Current International Age: 14

Blood Type: A

Length of Admission (years): 4

Current Diagnosis: Social Anxiety Disorder – Agoraphobia

Common Symptoms: Being in open spaces, enclosed spaces, or alone

Cause/Trigger: Childhood Trauma

Personality Traits: Closed off, Distanced

Danger Level: 2

Sector: Purple – Regular Isolation

  
  
  


Searching:  Lee Minho

View Patient Data ☑

Accessing now… 

Patient Name: Lee Min-ho

DOB: October 25, 1998

Current International Age: 17

Blood Type: O

Length of Admission (years): 2

Current Diagnosis: Schizophrenia

Common Symptoms: Out-Of-Body Episodes, Numbness, Hallucinations

Cause/Trigger: Genetics

Personality Traits: Extremely hostile, Lack of Cooperation

Danger Level: 9

Sector: Red – Required Isolation

  
  


Searching:  Kim Seungmin

View Patient Data ☑

Accessing now… 

Patient Name: Kim Seung-min

DOB: September 22, 2000

Current International Age: 15

Physical Traits: Selective Mutism – Very Rare

Blood Type: A

Length of Admission (years): 2

Current Diagnosis: Severe Autism

Common Symptoms: Selective Mutism, Sensory Sensitivity

Cause/Trigger: Genetics

Personality Traits: Constant Meltdowns, Extremely Hygienic, Rarely Speaks

Danger Level: 6

Sector: Blue – Optional Isolation

  
  


Searching:  Lee Felix Yongbok

View Patient Data ☑

Accessing now… 

Patient Name: Lee Felix Yong-bok

DOB: September 15, 2000

Current International Age: 15

Physical Traits: Mute – Korean Sign Language, Auslan Sign Language

Blood Type: AB

Length of Admission (years): 2

Current Diagnosis: Dependent Personality Disorder

Common Symptoms: Panic Attacks, Fainting, Fighting

Cause/Trigger: Touching, Sudden Movements, Loud Noises, Strangers

Personality Traits: Violent, Jumpy

Danger Level: 10 : Needs Constant Sedation

Sector: Red – Required Isolation

  
  
  
  


Why did he even bother waking up anymore? What was the point? He had no friends, his family abandoned him here, and he was getting sick and tired of watching other children come and go, watching the nurses pitiful stares as he sat by himself in the common room.

Today, he didn’t even have the energy to get out of bed. He knew the nurses would come around lunchtime, with their pitiful smiles and cup full of pills. At least they have learned at this point to not try and encourage him to sit up and get out of bed. He knew he was a hopeless case, and they knew too. 

Everyone knew. The new kids quickly caught on to leave him alone as the bags under his eyes rang warning bells in their heads. He gave up on trying to make friends when BamBam left ages ago. All of his motivation left with his last friend. But that was four years ago, back when he was fourteen. 

All he had left to remember his friend was the constant hollowness in his heart, something that felt as if he was missing something important, something that was important to  _ him _ . 

The shouts from the hallway broke the exhausted boy from his thoughts, giving him the energy to at least turn over and sit up facing the door. The door that was swung open and a boy with chubby cheeks rushed inside before slamming the door shut behind him.

He stared with wide eyes as the boy leaned heavily against the door, his chest rising and falling laboriously as they stared at each other in silence, the air tense around them as the noise of boots pounding against the floor passed them.

“Whoo! That was a close one!” The boy sighed exaggeratedly as he wiped fake sweat from his forehead, a smile bright on his face. 

“Why are you in my room?” The boy on the bed grumbled as the other placed his hands on his knees to slow down his breathing.

“I wanted to go on an adventure, why else?” The chubby-cheeked boy giggled as if his answer was the most obvious choice in the world, “Why are you still in bed?”

“Because I didn’t want to get up,” the boy on the bed watched the other with close precision as the obviously younger boy skipped to  _ his _ bed and sat down next to him…  _ him _ .

“Mood,” the boy answered with a short nod before leaning his head against the older’s shoulder, “I’m Jisung, what’s your name?”

“Chan. Bang Chan,” the older – Chan – supplied. 

“Oh! You’re the kid that’s been here  _ forever _ ! I was talking about you with some kids I ran into last week,” Jisung’s hands flopped around as he talked, as if he couldn’t sit still.

“Why were you talking about me?” Chan tensed at the thought of people talking about him, how could he disappear if he was always in the spotlight?

“Well… on my last adventure I ended up in Purple Sector and met these two boys, Changbin-hyung and Jeongin, when I sneaked into their room. It probably wasn’t my best decision because, as you know, Purple Sector is for the  _ really _ anxious kids, and I swear I almost gave them a heart attack. Thankfully, that didn’t happen and they honestly didn’t freak out as much as I thought they would and we somehow got to talking about how you’ve just always been here, how everyone knows you even if they haven’t met you. In fact, there’s a rumor going around that one of the kids in Red Sector was calling out some other patients' names, and you were one of them! Isn’t that freaky?” At this point, Jisung was bouncing on the bed, shaking Chan but the older (for some reason) couldn’t be mad at the smaller boy. 

“How… How often do you barge into random patient’s rooms?” Chan couldn’t help but wonder how many kids ended up in the same position as he was.

“I try to get around to see some old friends at least every other week, and then sometimes, like today, I just pick a room and hope I don’t get attacked!” Jisung was way too cheerful for stating that he had the possibility of being attacked, Chan felt worry brewing inside him for the younger boy.

“What friends do you have here?” Chan’s heart hurt at the fact that this boy sitting next to him was able to make friends so easily while Chan struggled to get out of bed most mornings. 

“Well I have lots of friends here, but some of my closer friends are spread throughout the entire hospital. There’s Seungminnie from Sector Blue who has severe autism but that kid has jokes and is super smart, I always go to him when I need a laugh. There’s also Hyunjin from Sector Pink who’s in a wheelchair, and he has the coolest tricks out of anyone in that sector. I already told you about Changbin-hyung and Jeongin, I’m excited to get closer to them because I can see a lot beneath their anxiousness, I’m excited to get to know you too...” Jisung’s voice faded out and for the first time since entering Chan’s room, he was completely still.

The two boys sat in silence for a few minutes, both of their minds racing on different subjects. Chan noticed that the smaller boy was chewing vigorously on his bottom lip, the sensitive skin turning red from the abuse. The older boy sighed before pulling the boy’s lip away from his teeth, startling Jisung who was previously lost in thought.

“You’re a good friend, Jisung. They must be really glad to have you, especially in a place like this,” Chan smiled for the first time in probably years as he saw the younger’s watery eyes meet his own with an expression that he was unable to identify.

“Are you glad?” Jisung asked and Chan finally remembered what that expression was, hope.

“Me?” What did Chan have to do with Jisung’s friends?

“Of course, you’re my friend now too, right?” Oh. Friends. They were friends. Chan liked the sound of that. With a smile that showed dimples that were hidden for far too long, Chan gave the younger a (way too excited) nod. 

Jisung giggled at the older’s actions and snuggled into Chan’s side, sighing at the comfort of physical contact. Chan wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and pulled him closer, relishing in the way it felt to have another body against his after so long. 

Something inside Chan shifted at that moment, having Jisung next to him gave him a reason to keep fighting, to get out of bed in the morning, to fight the depression that his bipolar syndrome loves to throw onto him at the worst moments possible. 

“Well, I think I better dip before the guards find me. I’ll be back as soon as possible, maybe you can come visit me in Sector Yellow?” Jisung pulled away from Chan and both of their faces were now decorated with small frowns. 

“Promise?” Chan smiled like a kid at a candy store as he held his pinky finger in front of him, waiting for Jisung’s response. Jisung’s frown turned into a large smile as their pinky fingers linked together, completing the promise. 

Chan had a new friend. Chan wasn’t alone anymore. Chan had a reason to live.


	3. Happy

“And how did that make you feel, Chan?” The doctor tapped his pen on his clipboard as Chan looked out the window behind him, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“I… I felt happy. He didn’t care who I was, he wanted to be my friend despite us both being in a psych hospital,” a small smile graced the teenager’s face as he thought about the squirrely boy who invited himself into Chan’s room a few days ago.

“That’s good. Making friends is a beneficial way to heal. When you are at rock bottom and can still make friends, you know those friends will be with you when you rise from that bottom because they have already seen you at your worst. I’ve been thinking about this for awhile and I think it would be best to create a meeting place for patients in different sectors to interact, would you like that, Chan?” The doctor pushed his rolling chair towards his desktop computer and began typing quickly, pausing for the boy’s response. 

Would he like that? He could make friends and Jisung wouldn’t have to risk getting attacked by entering a random patient’s room. 

“Yes. Can I possibly put the group together, doc?” Chan unconsciously scooted forward on his seat and leaned forward, anxious for the doctor’s answer. The doctor couldn’t deny the boy once he saw the fire reignite in the younger’s eyes.

“I believe I can let you try, but I will finalize it for the safety and prosperity of the group,” the doctor smirked as Chan bounced in his seat, dimples flashing as his eyes formed into crescents. 

“Thank you! Thank you so much, doc! I won’t disappoint you!” Chan exclaimed as he bounded out of his chair and to the door, his mind spinning with names and how to convince Jisung’s friends.

“I know you won’t, Chan. I’ll see you next appointment, okay?” The doctor let his smile show, it was nice to see his longest patient smile for the first time in years.

“Okay. Thanks again, Dr. Park,” Chan smiled largely at the doctor before leaving the room, a bounce in his step. 

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Chan walked down the white hallway following the yellow arrows that lead to Yellow Sector, where Jisung told him he was situated. The bipolar patient was excited to tell Jisung about the new group, he already knew that the boy would help him put the group together. 

The eighteen year old stopped at the closed double doors that marked the entrance of Yellow Sector, taking a deep breath before pushing one of the doors open, this sector was less guarded than some of the other sectors in the hospital as the patients had a low violence rate overall. 

Chan hesitantly stepped further into Yellow Sector, the bounce in his step gone as he scouted the area for Jisung. He now understood why the younger always went on his “adventures”, the adrenaline rush of being in a sector that wasn’t his own felt exhilarating. 

He ran a hand through the curly mop of brown hair, pushing it out of his eyes as he stood in the doorway of the small common area of Yellow Sector, watching the patients – who, without a doubt, had excess energy causing an almost constant jitter in their bodies – mingle with each other in loud and expressive ways. 

Chan was shocked to find Jisung situated away from the other patients, sitting on a windowsill as he stared out to the courtyard, the sun casting a warm glow on his small form. The eighteen year old quietly made his way to his only friend, careful not to draw attention to himself as he sat across the younger on the same seat, startling the fifteen year old from his daze.

“Hyung! You came to visit me! I didn’t think you’d come!” Jisung exclaimed as he threw his body onto the older, pulling him into a tight embrace which Chan quickly returned. 

“I can’t believe you had such little faith in me, Sung. I even brought good news, but I guess I won’t share it since you doubted me…” Chan smirked as Jisung pulled away to look at him with wide, doe eyes.

“Good news?! Hyung~” Jisung whined as he pouted at the older, triggering the other to let out a soft chuckle as the younger began to flutter his eyelashes aggressively.

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. Don’t hurt your eyes,” Chan poked Jisung’s puffed out cheeks as the younger smiled, practically radiating the sunshine that splashed on him from the window.

“Dr. Park is letting me make a group of patients from different sectors, and I think your friends will be perfect for it if you're up for rounding them together,” Chan watched as Jisung’s radiance increased (if that was even possible). 

“Of course! Oh my god! We should go to them right now! I know most of them are gonna be really excited! Let’s go!” And with that Jisung grabbed Chan’s wrist and pulled him out of the Yellow Sector common room and sped down the hallway to exit the sector. 

Their laughter bounced off the boring walls as they burst through the doors and turned to the hallway that led to Purple Sector, where Jeongin and Changbin were situated. Jisung led Chan with practiced ease through the sector, stopping before a closed door. 

The fifteen year old knocked a ridiculous pattern and stepped back, flashing the older boy a bright smile. The door opened a few seconds later revealing a boy with a sharp jawline and glaring eyes. 

“Hi Changbinnie hyung! Is Innie here?” Jisung pushed open the door and walked in, the boy, Changbin, sighed as the younger brushed past him and towards the other boy that was in the room. 

“Umm, hello. I’m Bang Chan, I’m friends with Jisung,” Chan awkwardly introduced himself to the other patient, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt as the shorter boy raked his eyes over the eighteen year old. 

“I know,” Changbin grumbled before stepping aside to let the older boy in, his eyes glaring holes into the bipolar patient. Chan hesitantly stepped into the room and watched as Jisung attacked the other boy – who Chan assumed was Jeongin – with a large embrace, laughing when the smaller boy weakly struggled in his arms before giving up, going limp as Jisung pressed a wet kiss on his cheek, triggering his face to scrunch up. 

Chan stood awkwardly as Changbin walked towards Jisung and Jeongin and pulled the older away, forcing him into his lap. Jisung’s cheeks puffed out as he pouted at the second oldest in the room, but Changbin paid him no attention as he stared at Chan, his eyes still screaming aggression despite his cuddly position. 

“Why are you here, Sungie-hyung?” Jeongin spoke for the first time since Chan entered the room, not including his whines when Jisung was assaulting him with affection.

“What? You didn’t miss your favorite hyung?” Jisung frowned as Jeongin chuckled before freezing once his eyes locked with Chan’s. Jisung spoke up after a few moments of tense silence, startling the two patients from their locked eye contact.

“Channie hyung here is making a group of patients from different sectors and he asked me to help recruit, so I brought him here,” Jisung smiled at Jeongin when the younger looked at him in disbelief. 

“Channie hyung? As in Bang Chan?” Jeongin turned back towards Chan and raked his eyes over the standing boy, just as Changbin had done minutes ago. 

“Yes. I’m Bang Chan, from Grey Sector and yes, I have been here for over nine years,” the last part was said automatically, everyone always asked him so he had begun to answer the question before it was even sprung. 

“So, you want us in your group thing?” Changbin asked as Jeongin stared, frozen, as if the thought of being in the psych hospital for that long broke his brain. 

“Yes, any friend of Jisung is invited because I don’t really know anyone here and I don’t want squirrel boy here to keep running into stranger’s rooms with no precaution,” Chan leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, fighting back a smile as Jisung exclaimed about how he wasn’t a “squirrel boy” but just a squirrel. 

“Who else is gonna be in it?” Jeongin’s brain rebooted at Jisung’s squirrely retort and was now staring at Chan with wide, doe eyes.

“Well, there’s Seungminnie from Sector Blue and Hyunjinnie from Sector Pink,” Jisung counted off the names off his fingers as he kicked his feet back and forth, still situated sideways on Changbin’s lap.

“And this got approved by Dr. Park so once I get the names in we can start meeting up more,” Chan smiled softly as Jeongin beamed up at him, his eyes sparkling at the thought of seeing people outside of his sector. 

“Let go~, hyung~! We gotta go visit the other three to tell them the good news!” Jisung whined and began to squirm in Changbin’s lap before the older boy pushed the younger onto the floor, leaving the hyperactive boy a wriggling mess on the cold ground.

The oldest boy in the room pulled the whining boy up and nodded his head towards the other two before leaving the room, his cold hand wrapped around Jisung’s clammy one. 

Chan led Jisung down random hallways, his body moving on it’s own as his thoughts raced. He was making a group. People wanted to be friends with him. He was going to have friends. He wasn’t going to be alone anymore. 

“–ung? Hyung?! Chan!” Jisung’s shout broke Chan from his thoughts and forced him to look at their surroundings, they were in Red Sector. The sector for the most dangerous patients.


	4. You're not real.

The door clicked open but Minho remained on his side, blinking lethargically as he waited for the nurse to pump him full of sedatives. They weren’t real. His friends weren’t real. Not Chan. Not Felix. His heart ached as he remembered Felix bursting through the door of their apartment, sweat adorning his smiling face as he apologized for his tardiness.

Minho missed them, even if they weren’t real, it was better to be stuck in an imaginary world than staring at his white, padded wall for hours. The seventeen year old turned his head after the nurse didn’t come forward as he assumed she would, his neck straining as he struggled to move his body because of the straightjacket.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of two boys. They weren’t nurses, they were fellow patients.

“H-Hello?” The shorter one quietly spoke up, his body practically shaking and the slighter taller boy with dark curls placed a hand on his shoulder to calm his nerves. 

Minho couldn’t believe his eyes. They obviously weren’t real. There was no way that Chan and Jisung were standing before him, he had made them up, they were just hallucinations. Minho rolled his eyes and moved his body to face the wall again.

“Go away,” he mumbled, his voice scratchy but present nonetheless.

“What’s your name?” Jisung’s voice piped up once again despite Minho’s obvious discontent for their presence in his room.

“Why are you doing this to me, Jisung? Just go away,” Minho struggled to keep his voice even as it threatened to crack from the emotions that overwhelmed the teenager. 

“H-How do you know my name? We’ve never met before,” Jisung’s voice raised as anxiousness leaked through it, if Minho was looking he would have seen Chan’s hand tighten on the younger’s shoulder, the tips of his fingers beginning to turn white from the increasing pressure. 

Minho sighed before rolling over once more, using his legs with practiced ease to move into a seated position, his back now resting against the wall he was previously staring at, his eyes now boring into the two other boys in his room.

“Chan hyung, Sungie, why are you here? These meds were working really well but I guess if you're here then they aren’t…” Minho looked away from them and leaned his head against the wall, his eyes drifting over the room to look for any more hallucinations. He sighed in relief when he found none.

“I don’t know who you are, but we are definitely real,” Chan spoke up for the first time and Minho scoffed at his bluntness, it was obvious that he was using a sharp tone as a protective stance.

“Sure, sure, you’re real,” Minho couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the ridiculousness his brain was creating, and the stubbornness because usually by then they were gone by this time in the conversation.

“If you’re real then that means you guys are patients here, right? I already know what you’re here for, Chan hyung, an extreme case of bipolar disorder, one so extreme that doctors haven’t seen anything like it before so they constantly throw different pills at you and leave you to deal with the harsh side effects alone in the seclusion of your private room because you’ve lost your will to leave over the years of your stay here. Am I wrong, Christopher Bang?” Minho smirked at the sight of Chan clenching his jaw and one of his veins protruding from his neck as he held his tongue from making any harsh comments. Only Minho knew which buttons to press on the older and he did so with practiced ease.

“Jisungie, you’re a little more difficult with such a well-built facade. You claim you have ADHD and ODD but in reality it is misplaced social anxiety, which is why you mix in with the other anxiety patients easily. You purposefully act out so people don’t expect much from you and therefore can’t be disappointed in you when you mess up on accident. Have the doctors found that out yet, Sungie? Or are you still tricking them?” Minho was so preoccupied with dissecting the two boys in front of him he failed to notice the fresh tears rolling down the younger’s chubby cheeks.

“H-How? No o-one is s-supposed to kn-know…” Jisung shrunk in on himself and Minho’s smirk fell from his face. They were real. Chan and Jisung were real and he had just hurt them. 

“Han-ah, come here,” Minho called softly to the sobbing boy and Jisung’s whimpering choked off at his suddenly soft voice.

“I don’t bite, I promise. Now come here,” Jisung hesitantly stumbled towards the seated boy and sat as far away from him as possible, his posture stiff as tears continued to pour down his cheeks, now dripping on the white bed sheets beneath him. Chan stood in the same spot, muscles frozen as he watched the scene unfolding before him.

“Come closer, Sungie, lean on my shoulder. I can’t comfort you in the way I want to but I can still be here for you,” Minho smiled softly at the younger as looked up to him for reassurance before scrambling closer to the older, shoving his wet face in the crook of Minho’s neck as his he clung to the older like a koala, his limbs wrapping around the seventeen year old’s restrained body.

Minho rubbed his cheek against the top of the younger’s head, pressing gentle kisses in the fluffy hair as he whispered apologetically for his uncalled for statements. Jisung spent several minutes crying into the older’s neck before his breathing regulated, a sign that he had fallen asleep against the older. 

“Chan-hyung,” Minho whispered as the older fidgeted in his spot, rocking on his heels, “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I thought you both were hallucinations, not real people. I hope you can forgive me.”

“I understand, although I have a lot of questions…” Chan moved to sit on the bed on Jisung’s other side, rubbing the younger’s back as he mumbled something unintelligible into Minho’s neck, eliciting a small laugh from the older two. 

“What’s your name and how did you know ours?” Chan broke the silence and his eyes met Minho’s, triggering the younger to flinch and look away as a small blush from embarrassment flooded his cheeks and reddened the tips of his ears.

“My name is Lee Minho. I’m seventeen years old and I have schizophrenia. I knew your names and I probably know several others’ here because of a hallucinated world I was trapped in for the last couple of years,” Minho briefly looked at the older again to see his reaction and found Chan looking at him with a disbelieving expression.

“Okay… who else do you ‘know’ and how?” Minho knew that the older didn’t fully believe him but he honestly struggled to believe himself.

“Well, there were nine of us in the same ward. There was Hyunjinnie, I knew him before he was admitted and was in the dance studio with him when he got hurt. He was in a wheelchair and had major PTSD from that incident. There was you and Sungie which I already told you about. Then, there was Seungmin, he was a true puppy at heart. He had severe autism and that caused a lot of complications for him but he had this wise aura one minute and childlike the next, he was obsessed with getting Innie out of his shell. Oh, there was Jeongin and Changbin, they both had extreme cases of anxiety, Changbin even had a stutter for the longest time. He could barely get through introductions when a new person came. Felix came last…”

“Who’s Felix?” Chan cut the younger off at the reveal of an unknown name. He had heard of everyone Minho had recalled except for this Felix.

“F-Felix isn’t here?” Minho stuttered, sorrow clutching his tender heart.

“I haven’t met anyone Felix…” Chan noticed the sadness that overcame the younger, feeling sorry for the seventeen year old.

“What about Yongbok?” Chan thought for a moment before shaking his head, “no, in all of my years I’ve never met anyone Felix or Yongbok. I can ask my doctor if there is a patient here though at my next appointment, maybe we’ve just never ran into each other.”

“Maybe… I hope he’s here. He made our ward feel full, it was like he was the last puzzle piece for our small ragtag group of mentally-ill teenagers. You loved him, he was your little aussie bro,” Minho blinked back tears at the sudden intrusion of the long forgotten, bittersweet memories of the little moments between the Ward 9 patients. 

The three boys stayed silent and Jisung continued to sleep, unaware of the tense conversation that had occurred over him. After a few minutes of silence, Minho spoke up again.

“I think it’s time for you to go, but please come visit me some time, it gets lonely in here,” Minho gave the older a small smile which held more emotions than either boy could understand and Chan gently pulled Jisung from Minho’s form, allowing the younger to wrap his limbs around him and dig his face into the crook of the oldest’s neck, just as he had done with Minho.

As Chan opened the door, Minho called out to him, “how did you get in here anyways, hyung?” 

Chan smiled and tightened his grip on the small boy clinging to him.

“The squirrel seems to know how to get into anything,” they shared a smile and Chan ensured that the door clicked shut quietly so as to not draw attention to the rebelling boys.

Minho was alone once again, but this time he didn’t feel so bad. He had something to look forward to. He had hope.


	5. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eight boys sit in a circle.

“Felix or Yongbok?” Dr. Park stopped typing and looked at Chan with a questioning gaze, “I can look them up… why are you interested in them?” His typing picked up again as he typed in ‘Yongbok’ in the search bar of the hospital.

“A friend of mine recommended him for the group,” Chan lied easily, his fingers twitching in anticipation. Dr. Park’s mouse clicked around a few times before he clicked his tongue, looking up at the boy in disbelief.

“Lee Felix Yongbok. Sector Red, constant isolation. Danger level ten,” Chan’s eyes bulged in shock at the information. The boy existed and he was in Sector Red.

“Are you positive you want him in your group? He could pose a safety threat to the other patients–”

“This could help him, and if anything happens there are always nurses nearby, right?” Chan was practically begging the doctor at that moment, he didn’t understand why he wanted that boy so badly but he knew all nine of them needed to be together.

Dr. Park tapped his pen against his notepad for a few moments before sighing in defeat, “I will let both him and Lee Minho participate in the first meeting, just remember that I can take them out if I see fit.” Chan’s face lit up in a bright smile and he nodded his head excitedly, shaking his mop of curls.

“Thank you, Dr. Park,” Chan stood up with more enthusiasm than he came in with and made his way to the door, “when is the first meeting?”

“Tomorrow morning,” Dr. Park answered, already typing away on his computer, setting up the group meeting for the nine patients.

“Tomorrow…” Chan whispered in disbelief, they were all meeting tomorrow.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Eight boys sat in a circle, three in wheelchairs. Chan cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the patients before him.

“Umm, I guess I’ll start. My name is Bang Chan. I’m eighteen years old and I have been a patient here for nine years. I have severe bipolar disorder,” he looked to Jisung who was seated next to him.

“Hi! I’m Han Jisung and I have ADHD and ODD. I’m fifteen years old and I have been kept prisoner here for five years,” the boy on the other side of him chuckled at his introduction.

“I guess it’s my turn? Well, my name is Hwang Hyunjin. I’m also fifteen and I was admitted here after my accident four years ago that left me handicapped and with PTSD,” everyone looked at the boy next to him. His eyes were glazed and his limbs were limp against the wheelchair he was restrained against. The patient beside him spoke up.

“This is Lee Felix. He’s also fifteen and has been here for two years. He has Dependent Personality Disorder and is mute. They drugged him out of his mind because he doesn’t do well with people, don’t expect a response from him. Anyways, I’m Lee Minho, I’ve also been here for two years and I have schizophrenia. Both of us are from Sector Red, that’s why we are handcuffed to these stupid wheelchairs, no offense Jinnie. Oh, I’m seventeen, so I’m everyone’s hyung except for Chan hyung,” most of the patients seemed concerned that there were two patients from Sector Red, the ward for the worst patients.

“How do you know so much about him if he’s mute and drugged?” A boy spoke up from across the circle, a frown on his face.

“I know about everyone because my brain is really weird. I could introduce everyone in this circle and tell secrets that only you know about yourselves, but last time I did that I made Sungie cry so I’m not going to–”

“Prove it,” the same boy spoke again. Minho looked at him hesitantly before sighing.

“Okay, but don’t tell me I didn’t warn you… Hyunjin injured himself trying to do an aerial alone and now he hates mirrors because people tell him that he doesn’t need to be a dancer because of his visuals. Changbin was abused by his nanny and his parents didn’t believe him so he killed her. Jeongin used to be locked into a small closet for his punishments and now hates being left alone because his parents would leave him alone in that closet for hours even when he did nothing wrong. 

Seungmin is a clean freak, going as far as to burn his skin if he thinks he’s contaminated. People often overlook him because of his autism but he is probably the smartest person in this room, spending hours studying for schooling that he will probably never experience. Felix loves dancing but his adoptive parents didn’t want him to pursue that as a career. They brainwashed him from a young age to be seen and not heard, that he needs them for every little decision. They eventually grew tired of him and dropped him off at a general hospital, not even bothering to see if he made it inside before driving off. Anyone else?” Minho cringed at the silence that followed his words. It felt as if his voice echoed off the walls, ringing in his ears as the others sat stunned.

“I-I guess you don’t have to introduce yourselves then…” Hyunjin mumbled, his hands fidgeting in his lap as he broke the tense silence. Jisung clapped his hands together, startling most of them as a smile broke out on his face.

“Good job, everyone. We are officially a bunch of messed up children. I’m glad that we can share our disturbing experiences together!”

Chan shook his head and put it in his hands. He hoped that he wasn’t going to regret this.


	6. ...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Update.

I have decided that I will no longer include Woojin in my SKZ stories. I will not go back and fix every chapter until the story is over but from this point on, Woojin will no longer be in my stories. I am doing this because of what has happened recently. Whether he did it or not, he is no longer in Stray Kids and I will not associate him as such with stories made after his departure in 2019. Thank you for understanding and I ask that you are patient with me as I adjust all of my stories. Thank you.

~ Charlee422

P.S. I am swamped with schoolwork write now and I kind of pushed this story on the back burner, focusing on Seoul's School for the Gifted at the moment. I apologize for any inconveniences. Whether or not I continue this story is up in the air. My hope at the moment is finishing it up in a 2-3 chapters.


	7. Peek-a-boo

“Can you tell us a story, Minho hyung?” Jeongin’s quiet voice interrupted the small conversations around the circle. 

“Ooh! Ooh! I wanna hear it!” Seungmin shot his hand up into the air, wiggling in his seat as his eyes formed crescents from how hard he was smiling. Chris shook his head softly at the boy’s excitement as his lips tilted up at the corners. 

“Okay, okay. Settle down Minnie, hyung will tell a story. What does everyone want to hear?” Minho’s hands rested in his lap, he had recently passed enough testing to finally get rid of the handcuffs. 

Can… can you tell us something about your other world, hyung?” Changbin fingers fidgeted as some of the boys turned to look at the sixteen year old. 

“Sure, those are probably my best memories anyway,” Minho smiled softly as he watched Changbin’s form relax once the attention was drawn away from him. 

_ White flurries danced across the windows, sticking to the glass momentarily before melting, leaving a single drop of water in its place before another flake landed in the same spot. A buzzing energy filled the air along with soft chatter that rose and fell as giggles echoed off the usually bland walls. It was Christmas Eve, and with the permission from the medical staff, the oldest two boys taped red and green strips of paper to the ceiling tiles, creating their own Christmas wonderland in the confining four concrete walls of their common room.  _

_ Eight boys sat around the largest window, a single voice spoke dramatically in a nasally tone as the occasional sound of a page turning joined the ear-catching story. The story might have been one for young children, gifted by a nurse whose child was too old for the book, but that didn’t dispel the excitement of the sitting boys as they sat in anticipation of the speaker’s next words. While the story was taking longer than normal due to constant interruptions (Jisung), the speaker continued after seeing the small smile of the newest patient.  _

_ At the end of the book, the eight boys sat in comfortable silence, simply taking in each other’s company as they watched the December snow fall outside. A small cough from the oldest ended the silence, no one startled from the sudden noise as they usually did, a sign of their growth since joining the ward.  _

_ “Thank you,” the oldest started, his Australian accent had begun to stick out since the newest patient’s arrival, “I’m so glad that I get to spend every day with each and every one of you. You have all reminded me of what it means to be human, to be normal.” His voice choked up and he turned his face to the ceiling in an attempt to stop the tears that threatened to spill. The first arms that wrapped around him triggered the dam to break and his tears to fall. Several of the boys whined at the sight of the wet streaks on the eldest’s cheeks and joined the hug. _

_ “Hap–py?” A low, croaked voice sounded from outside of the group hug, causing seven heads to turn towards the last boy. _

_ “Yeah, Lixie, I’m happy, so very very happy,” Chris let out a wet chuckled a ruffled whatever hair he could reach, eliciting groans and whines from Seungmin, Jeongin, and Jisung.  _

_ “Hey! We want hugs too, right Lix?” Hyunjin and Felix had their wheelchairs facing each other on either side of the window, too far away from the group hug in Hyunjin’s opinion. The boys immediately moved the few feet towards the boys in wheelchairs, quickly including them into the hug. The nurses came to collect them a few minutes later, letting the boys wish each other goodnight before taking them to their rooms to retire. _

“Hyung… do you think that your other world is real?” Hyunjin spoke as soon as Minho finished the story.

“I don’t know, Jinnie… but I hope so, everyone was so happy, so free. I hope some version of us can live in the real world together,” Minho’s answer created a moment of silence, each boy lost in their own minds as they thought of his response. Minho watched the boys in front of him, observing their variety of facial expressions, his eyes soon stopping on Felix’s face. 

The seven boys were informed that Felix’s medications were being slowly reduced. The doctors hoped that Felix would find the boys in the therapy group comforting and familiar as they had been meeting for months already. Minho hoped that the eye contact that he had been locked in meant more than just Felix’s drugged mind moving his eyes to blankly survey the room. 

“Felix?” Minho gently called out to the other boy, not wanting to get the others’ hopes up. Minho was genuinely shocked at the tears that suddenly poured down the younger’s face, that was as good a response as any they had previously received.

“Oh, aegi. Don’t cry, it’s okay. It’s just us, you know us,” Minho moved to kneel down in front of the seventeen year old and placed his fingers in between the smaller ones, entwining them as shaky gasps spilled from Felix’s lips.

A sturdy hand landed on Minho’s shoulder, Chan’s pale skin showed in the corner of the kneeling boy’s eyes and Minho had an overwhelming feeling of goodness, that everything would be okay. 

“Felix, look, we’re all here. We’re all here for you, Lixie. We promise,” Chan’s comforting voice triggered Felix to break his eye contact with Minho, looking up at the oldest boy with red rimmed eyes. The others smiled as Felix’s breathing slowly calmed down, his eyes drying as he kept his eyes locked on either Chan or Minho.

_ They’re here for him. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back from the dead, had a sudden urge and a little voice of motivation to add a chapter today XD XD


	8. A/N NOT A CHAPTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *awkward laughs*

(Same post from all CharLee 422 works)

Ummm hey lovelies....

So umm COVID decided to attack my school and I have finals next week and I just got over a stomach virus (not COVID) and my seasonal depression kicked in shortly after halloween. So if you noticed my lack of posts that's why.

So...... I'm going on hiatus until at least the beginning of 2021. I AM NOT ABANDONING ANY OF MY WORKS I PROMISEEEEEE

During this time, I will be mass editing ALLLLLL of my works (even the completed ones). I'm sorry for the lack of posts from the last couple of weeks and the rest of the wonderful year of 2020.

Have a good rest of your year,

CharLee422


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